Kyle Kuzma will get the chance to show his potential to be a superstar this upcoming NBA season. After a few years with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kuzma was traded to the Washington Wizards as part of the Russell Westbrook deal.
In Washington, Kuzma comprises a young core including Spencer Dinwiddie, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell. This young core will be expected to surround Bradley Beal on the court as they make a push for a playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
Kuzma’s development with the Lakers had been significantly hindered thanks to the arrival of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. While there is no doubt that those two players should be high-minute starters on any team, Kuzma’s growth as a player suffered majorly with his reduction of minutes.
Many fans felt bad for Kuzma when he got traded. But it turns out that this is exactly what Kuz wanted. During the Washington Wizards’ media day, Kuzma revealed that he wanted to be traded from the Lakers that he could take the next step in his career and reach the heights that he aspires to.
“For me, wanting to get traded, and be in a type of situation where I can really spread my wings and develop a certain type of trajectory that I was on prior.”
For Kuzma, his stint with the Lakers was a mixed bag. In the beginning, he was showing signs of being a future superstar. But with the arrival of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, two players who play in his position, his minutes on the court reduced significantly.
With the reduction of minutes, Kuzma’s offensive output also reduced significantly. Despite this, Kuzma was able to play a key role during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship run, providing scoring and a floor-spacing option off the bench for LeBron and AD.
